My sister Christine often enthuses that she must have been Indian in her past life. Her love for Indian cuisine, clothes, culture and films seems insatiable. One thing is for sure, our late parents, Mama Mila and Papa Ting, certainly had a hand in such influence not just on Christine but on our entire family as well.
Since the early ’70s, Dad and Mom’s favorite restaurant in the country was Kashmir. They may have passed away 12 years ago, but they left behind our appreciation for this delightful cuisine. As our love for our favorite dishes like savory chicken tandoori, buttery roti channai, perfectly grilled kebabs, flavorful biryanis, heavenly vegetarian dishes and fabulous pistachio Indian ice cream (kulfi) and gulab jamu grew, so did our friendship with the owners.
The story of the three dynamic Sehwani sisters — Indra Mirchandani, Kamla “Bebo” Singh and Sita Advani, who started Kashmir way back in 1974 — is an endearing tale of sisterly love and friendship. In 1974, former First Lady Imelda Marcos encouraged everyone to open their homes, create pension houses for tourists. The Sehwani sisters scouted for a property in Makati and found a beautiful three-story building owned by Siony Brillantes behind the former International School. They rented this building and converted it into a cozy 10-bedroom lodging called Villa Christorey, inspired by their loving devotion to Christ. At the basement of the pension house, a beautiful space with a huge window fronting the street commanded a very romantic setting. Here was born the very first Kashmir restaurant. Imee Marcos was among many other celebrities who craved for the authentic Northern Indian dishes sumptuously whipped up by Sita Advani (a pharmacist by profession), who was in charge of the kitchen. Her sister Indra, the management whiz, tended to the operations and accounting requirements while Bebo took loving care of the employees as she was in charge of the human resources division.
In 1976, Villa Christorey found a new home in Bel-Air where the indefatigable trio run the eight-room bed and breakfast haven. They enlisted as a member of the pension association and would fetch their foreign guests from the international airport to Villa Christorey. Simultaneously, they found a building property owned by Andrea Locsin on Makati Avenue corner Guerrero Street where Kashmir Restaurant found its home till the year 2000. Today, the crown jewel of Indian cuisine can be savored at its two branches located along Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road) and Adriatico Street corner Padre Faura in Ermita, Manila.
The joy of working together, day in and day out, didn’t seem like work at all for the Sehwani sisters. They honed their talents together like a beautiful Indian tapestry. Their genuine love for seeing their family, friends and guests enjoy their authentic cuisine as they shared their fabulous culture was the fulfillment of their longtime dreams. Today, Kashmir continues to offer authentic Northern Indian cuisine with influences from Pakistan, Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore.
Nearly 34 years in the business, Kashmir is part of my life. Many happy childhood memories were spent in Kashmir — my very first taste and appreciation for Indian food took place here and to this day, whenever my family and I crave for Indian food, which is very often, there is no other place but Kashmir simply because we not only fell in love with their food but with the beautiful family behind it as well.
Kashmir prides itself in the warm, personal and loving ambiance of authentic home-cooked meals at affordable prices. I learned that Kashmir derived its name from the “Paradise on Earth” tucked away between two Himalayan ranges, surrounded by ethereal landscape and flowing rivers. The Mughal Kings journeyed to the valley’s cool, flower-filled environs in the summer and the snowy carpets for skiing in winter. Houseboats on the Dal Lake made popular luxurious lodgings replete with full butler services. A splendid mural of a houseboat proudly hung on the ceiling in the very first Kashmir, a testimony to the heritage of exquisite artisanship.
Behind every successful business endeavor are years of hard work, dedication and determination. Nothing comes without a price. Many sacrifices are made. But if your passion for what you do is an integral part of you, nothing can stop you from achieving the desires of your heart. Working together, with the people you love, makes it all worth your while. At the end of the day, it’s all about family. Just as delightful as its cuisine is the endearing tale of shared passions, hard work, love and friendship.
(Would love to hear from you at miladayjewels@yahoo.com.)